The present invention relates to an antiskid control apparatus for use in an automobile, and more particularly to an antiskid control apparatus having a computer-controlled pump which is actuatable in a skid-control mode for producing a working fluid pressure.
One conventional antiskid control apparatus for automobiles is disclosed in British patent application No. 2125149 corresponding to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-2961.
The disclosed antiskid control apparatus is operated by the hydraulic a power steering system, which is actuated at all times by the engine of the automobile. Therefore, the known antiskid control apparatus cannot be incorporated in automobiles which are not equipped with power steering systems.
If the above antiskid control apparatus were to be installed in an automobile with no power steering system, the antiskid control apparatus would have to be provided with a dedicated hydraulic pump which would be actuated at all times by the automobile engine. However, operating the hydraulic pump at all times would not be preferable because of extra power consumption required. More specifically, the antiskid control apparatus is required to be active only when the automobile is braked. Since the automobile is and remains braked for a time that is much smaller than the total time in which the automobile is in operation, the amount of engine power consumed to operate the hydraulic pump even when the automobile is not braked would be substantial.